Table of Contents

Country Reports

LM Report 2006

Belarus

Key developments since May 2005: After signing a contract with the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency in February 2006, Belarus began destroying its remaining stockpile of 294,755 antipersonnel mines, other than PFM mines. It reported destroying 3,600 antipersonnel mines in 2005. Belarus will also destroy the victim-activated components of its MON-type and OZM-72 mines. The Ministry of Defense signed a “statement of endorsement” to accept technical assistance from the European Commission for the destruction of 3.37 million PFM mines on 6 May 2006, with the goal of starting the project in January 2007. More than 31,000 explosive remnants of war were destroyed in clearance operations in 2005, including almost 3,000 landmines of which 58 were antipersonnel mines. In May 2006, a senior Ministry of Defense official declared that 353 square kilometers of land required clearance. There was one incident with four casualties due to unexploded ordnance in 2005, a decrease from the five incidents and 16 casualties in 2004.

Mine Ban Policy

The Republic of Belarus acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 September 2003 and the treaty entered into force on 1 March 2004. Belarus did not produce or export antipersonnel mines after independence in 1992. It has stated that it has not used antipersonnel mines for protection of its borders or for other purposes.^[1]

Belarus cites Articles 294, 295, 298 and 299 of its criminal code as national implementation measures banning the production, stockpiling and trade in antipersonnel mines. These laws impose penalties for activities relating to the theft, manufacture, transfer, sale, trafficking and storage of explosive materials. Penalties range from correctional labor or restricted freedom to 15 years’ imprisonment.^[2]

In addition, decrees were issued in September and October 2003 banning the stockpiling and use of antipersonnel mines that are not command-detonated.^[3] Prior to becoming a State Party, Belarus established a moratorium prohibiting the export of antipersonnel mines in 1995; in 2003 this was extended to the end of 2007.^[4] A 1998 decree prohibits the transit of antipersonnel mines through the territory of Belarus.^[5]

Decree No. 525 issued by the Council of Ministers on 6 May 2004 assigned responsibility for implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The implementation activities focus on destruction of existing stockpiles and the production of the annual Article 7 transparency reports.^[6]

Belarus submitted its third Article 7 transparency report on 24 April 2006, covering calendar year 2005.^[7] According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Annual reporting by States Parties in accordance with Article 7 is a crucial element for building confidence and increasing transparency not only among States Parties but, what is more important, among states non-parties to the Ottawa Convention.”^[8]

Belarus attended the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005, and the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2005 and May 2006.^[9] At the Zagreb meeting, Belarus made a statement during the General Exchange of Views and also provided an update on stockpile destruction. During the May 2006 Standing Committee meetings, Belarus made an intervention on regional cooperation and another update on stockpile destruction.

Representatives of the Engineer Forces and Ministry of Foreign Affairs also participated in a regional seminar on the implementation of the treaty and the problem of explosive remnants of war in Kaunas, Lithuania in October 2005. This was the second such seminar organized by Lithuania. Earlier seminars were hosted by Belarus (in 2000 and 2003) and Ukraine. Belarus has said that “these initiatives supported by international organizations and NGOs are very important and should be continued in the future. Lessons learned from the regional meetings prove that such activities help us to understand better each other, to enhance confidence and transparency and elaborate pragmatic and effective measures to solve land mine problems in the region.”^[10]

Belarus has not yet made known its views on matters of interpretation and implementation related to Articles 1, 2 and 3, and in particular issues related to joint military operations with non-States Parties, foreign stockpiling of antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or sensitive antihandling devices, and the acceptable number of mines retained for training.

Belarus joined Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Conventional Weapons on 2 March 2004. It deferred for nine years compliance with the protocol’s requirements for self-destruction and self-deactivation of remotely-delivered antipersonnel mines.^[11] It attended the annual meeting of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in November 2005 and submitted the annual report required by Article 13 in December 2005. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, existing laws in Belarus are adequate to implement Amended Protocol II.^[12]

NGO Activities

Since 1999, Belarus authorities have been very supportive of the ICBL Landmine Monitor initiative. In December 2005, it said, “It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Landmine Monitor in verifying compliance of the Convention by the States Parties. This remarkable annual publication has helped to ensure that all States Parties are both fully aware of their obligations and conscious that any lowering of the high standards set by the Convention will be exposed in the Landmine Monitor. Therefore I would like to thank all, who produces this excellent publication.”^[13]

The Belarus Campaign to Ban Landmines/Support Centre for Associations and Foundations (BCBL/SCAF), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UN Development Programme-Minsk, and with the support of the Canadian government, conducted the Third Ottawa Convention Implementation Workshop in Minsk on 22-24 May 2006. The workshop was tied to the destruction of non-PFM mines through the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) project supported by the Canadian government (see below). There were more than 70 participants, including government officials and civil society stakeholders from Belarus, as well as representatives of donor countries, regional governments, international organizations and civil society organizations from outside Belarus.

Stockpiling and Destruction

In its April 2006 Article 7 report, Belarus declared a stockpile of 3,672,789 antipersonnel mines as of the end of 2005. This includes a total of 3,371,984 PFM-type mines and 300,805 other antipersonnel mines.^[14] Belarus destroyed 3,600 mines in 2005, including 2,880 PFM-1 mines from KSF-1 cassettes and 720 PMN-2 blast mines.^[15]

At the end of 2005, the stockpile consisted of 46,925 PMN blast mines: 115,896 PMN-2 blast mines, 14,299 POMZ-2 fragmentation mines, 66,361 POMZ-2M fragmentation mines, 19,624 POM-2 fragmentation mines in KPOM-2 cassettes, 29,200 POM-2 fragmentation mines in BKF-POM-2 canisters, 8,500 POM-2 fragmentation mines in BKF-POM-SV canisters, 1,790,064 PFM-1 blast mines in KSF-1 cassettes, 707,072 PFM-1S blast mines in KSF-1S cassettes, 413,712 PFM-1S blast mines in PFM-1S canisters and 461,136 PFM-1S blast mines in Uragan (Hurricane) 220mm rocket warheads.^[16]

In its first Article 7 report in June 2004, Belarus declared a total of 3,988,057 antipersonnel mines, including 3.37 million of the PFM type.^[17] In its second report in May 2005, it declared a stockpile of 3,676,389 antipersonnel mines, with the difference primarily being the reclassification of 200,847 OZM-72 mines and 110,766 MON mines (see below).^[18] Belarus’ original stockpile of antipersonnel mines inherited from the Soviet Union totaled approximately 4.5 million. It destroyed approximately 300,000 antipersonnel mines between 1992 and 2003.^[19]

Destruction of non-PFM Type Mines: On 14 November 2005, Belarus agreed with NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) and interested donor countries to implement a project to destroy all stockpiled antipersonnel mines other than PFM mines. This includes hand-emplaced antipersonnel mines and non-PFM type remotely delivered antipersonnel mines.^[20] On 8 February 2006, the Ministry of Defense signed a contract with NAMSA for the destruction of these mines for a total cost of €84,500 (approximately $102,000).^[21] A total of 294,755 antipersonnel mines will be destroyed in this program: 45,425 PMN, 114,384 PMN-2, 12,799 POMZ-2, 64,843 POMZ-2M and 57,324 POM-2. All mines are to be destroyed by open detonation at a Ministry of Defense range near the town of Rechitsa, except for the POMZ types which “shall be destroyed by moulding of their cases at the Belarusian industrial plants.” The project is being funded by Canada and Lithuania as lead countries in this NATO Partnership for Peace project. NAMSA is providing project management, technical oversight and auditing services. The following mines had been destroyed as of 6 May 2006: 14,159 POMZ-2, 4,450 PMN and 16 POM-2.^[22]

Destruction of PFM Mines: In December 2005, the lead official for treaty implementation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Belarus is among those States Parties, who should complete according to Article 4 destruction of its antipersonnel land mines stockpiles. This is a very complex and responsible task for Belarus. About 3.6 million antipersonnel mines should be destroyed. 3.36 million of them are the mines of PFM type, which could not be destroyed by regular methods. Nevertheless we believe that this task would be accomplished in time. We are confident because Belarus has excellent partners in solving this problem. In this regard we welcome and highly appreciate the contribution and the initiatives of Canada and the European Commission.”^[23]

In May 2006, another official said, “The problem relating to the destruction of 3,371,984 PFM-1 cluster mines with liquid explosive is the most difficult task for Belarus from technological and ecological points of view.”^[24]

The Ministry of Defense signed a “statement of endorsement” to accept technical assistance from the European Commission for the destruction of PFM mines on 6 May 2006. According to the Ministry of Defense official responsible for stockpile destruction, this “enables the European Commission to launch an international tender for the selection of the Contractor to carry out works aimed at disposal of these mines through ecologically sound technology and to start implementation of the project [by] 1 January 2007.”^[25] The European Commission has allocated €3 million (US$3,734,700) for PFM destruction.^[26]

According to the Ministry of Defense, “An effective plasma technology of PFM destruction has been developed and tested by the Belarus agency ‘Stroyenergo.’ It takes two minutes to destroy a canister with PFM mines. The technology meets the environmental protection requirements set by the Belarus law.”^[27]

MON-type and OZM-72 Mines: Belarus declared in June 2004 its intent to keep in operational service 110,766 MON series (MON-50, MON-90, MON-100, MON-200) directional fragmentation munitions, also known as Claymore-type mines.^[28] It stated, “The Republic of Belarus provides information on this type of munitions as a gesture of good will (these munitions are used in controlled mode and do not fall under the definition of antipersonnel mines....).”^[29] In February 2006, Belarus informed Landmine Monitor that it will destroy the victim-activated components—MUV-type tripwire fuzes—of 5,536 MON mines (5 percent of the stockpile), with NAMSA observing.^[30]

Belarus also decided to convert 200,847 OZM-72 bounding fragmentation mines in its stockpile into non-directional, command-detonated munitions: “The status of this type of munition has been changed due to the decision to use it exclusively in the controlled design version and due to non-applicability of the term ‘antipersonnel landmine’ as it has been defined in Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Convention.”^[31] According to the February 2006 contract with NAMSA, the victim-activated components—again, MUV-type tripwire fuzes—of the modified OZM-72 mines will be destroyed.^[32]

As of 6 May 2006, 131 MON-type and 12,515 OZM-72 mines had been inspected and the auxiliary victim-activated components were removed and destroyed.^[33]

Mines Retained for Research and Training

In April 2006, Belarus reported retaining 6,030 antipersonnel mines for research and training purposes permitted under Article 3 of the Mine Ban Treaty. This is the same number as reported in May 2005, but a reduction from the 7,530 antipersonnel mines, which Belarus declared in June 2004 that it would retain. The difference is accounted for by the decision to re-classify 1,500 OZM-72 mines as command-detonated munitions no longer considered under the scope of the Mine Ban Treaty.^[34]

Belarus retains antipersonnel mines for training of mine detection dogs, testing of protective equipment and mine detectors and the training of personnel.^[35] In its April 2006 Article 7 report, it did not use the new reporting formats for retained mines adopted at the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in November 2005. Belarus has not reported in detail on the intended purposes and actual uses of its retained mines―a step agreed by States Parties in the Nairobi Action Plan that emerged from the First Review Conference.

Landmine and ERW Problem

Belarus is primarily affected by huge quantities of explosive remnants of war (ERW),^[36] mostly dating back to World War II, although occasionally clearance teams still find shells from World War I and even the Napoleonic wars of the late 1800s.^[37] While unexploded ordnance (UXO) predominates, abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO) is also encountered. For example, a buried stockpile of more than 1,500 World War II mines and munitions was discovered in the grounds of a factory in the town of Lida in Grodno region on 23 June 2005.^[38]

In addition, an unknown number of German and Soviet antipersonnel and antivehicle mines remain on World War II battlefields in Belarus, especially in Vitebsk, Gomel and Minsk regions.^[39] All known minefields in Belarus were cleared immediately after World War II; authorities in Belarus do not have reliable records of remaining mined areas.^[40] In 1999, a German commander provided Belarus with maps from the German archives of the minefields laid in Dubrovno. The Ministry of Defense claims that it surveyed the areas but did not find any mines.^[41]

According to the Ministry of Defense, no new mines have been laid since 1945, “not even to protect military installations.” World War II mines that are cleared are said to be no longer dangerous, owing to the thin casing. This is in contrast to ERW where the metal casing protects the explosive inside more effectively. The age of explosives makes detection using dogs impractical.^[42]

In May 2006, at a treaty implementation workshop in Minsk, a senior official from the Ministry of Defense declared that an estimated 353 square kilometers of land in Belarus still required demining.^[43] The Dubrovno district in Vitebsk is believed to be one of the most affected areas in the country. Despite clearance operations carried out in 1945-1947 and 1993-1994,^[44] local authorities have claimed in previous years that an estimated 200,000 mines and ERW remain over an area of approximately 170 square kilometers.^[45] There is also mine and UXO contamination in the Brest and Mogilev regions. Most of the dozen or so casualties each year in Belarus result from tampering with artillery shells.^[46]

The majority of affected areas are agricultural land and forests, but mine/ERW contamination is also discovered in cities and towns. Unexploded hand-grenades were found near the president’s house, according to the Ministry of Defense.^[47] Low temperatures and soil pressure bring wartime landmines and ERW to the surface, even in areas where clearance operations have been previously undertaken.^[48]

The following examples illustrate the mine and UXO problem in Belarus. On 25 August 2005, 52 mines and a 105 mm artillery shell were discovered in the city of Gomel. On 6 October 2005, two mines, a 37 mm artillery shell and an RGD-33 grenade were discovered in the grounds of a factory in Minsk.^[49] It is not known whether these items of ordnance were buried stockpiles or ammunition that had been used.

Mine Action Program

There is no national mine action authority or mine action center operating in Belarus. Mine action is carried out under Order No. 73 of the Minister of Defense, dated 20 February 1997 (On the organization of demining of the territory of Republic of Belarus), and Order No. 120, dated 28 March 1995 (Implementing guidelines for clearing the territory of explosive ordnance).^[50]

Order No. 73 divides the territory of Belarus into different zones and assigns explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams to each of the zones, determines how many EOD teams there should be, and how many personnel each team should have. Order No. 120 focuses on technical issues regarding the different types of mines and ERW, and appropriate demining methods.

Ministry of Defense standards serve as national standards for demining operations. Deminers are expected to follow standing operating procedures developed and approved by the Ministry of Defense.^[51]

Strategic Planning and Progress

There is no strategic plan for clearance operations.^[52] Clearance tasks are decided by the Council of Ministers based on proposals from the Ministry of Defense. Priority is given to densely populated areas and areas to be used for agriculture or industry. Primary responsibility rests with the Ministry of Defense, which undertakes planned clearance operations, subject to funding, and the Ministry of Interior, which responds to emergency requests for EOD in cities, towns and villages and is also in charge of detection and clearance of unexploded aviation bombs.^[53]

Summary of Efforts to Comply with Article 5

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Belarus must destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 2014. Belarus did not declare any mined areas or areas suspected of containing mines in its transparency reports submitted in June 2004 and May 2005.^[54]

Officials have previously told Landmine Monitor that the situation in Belarus mirrors that of many European states where World War II battlefields remain. Mines are detected and cleared on an ad hoc basis as they are discovered. The mines are treated as a UXO problem, and most of the mines were said to be no longer dangerous.^[55] Explosive remnants of World War II are found “everywhere” in Belarus, and no reliable maps of mined areas exist. Authorities have told Landmine Monitor that it is “an impossible goal” to clear all mines and ERW in Belarus within a 10-year term. According to the Ministry of Defense, no mined areas were cleared in 2005 or early 2006.^[56] Therefore, no reporting is provided by Belarus on Article 5 implementation in its annual reports to the UN.^[57]

Demining

All clearance operations in Belarus are performed by specialists from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior. A Specialized Demining Center was established in Minsk in August 2003 by the Ministry of Interior, to conduct surveys and train deminers and other specialists involved in demining operations. The center is also mandated to carry out demining operations requiring special expertise and equipment, such as in a densely populated area of a city. The center’s deminers are expected to respond within 10 minutes of receiving a call requesting emergency EOD.^[58]

The Ministry of Defense has an explosives detection dogs center in Minsk. However, given their limited utility in Belarus, the Ministry tends to give the dogs to the Ministry of Interior or the customs authorities.^[59]

Identification and Marking/Fencing of Mined Areas

There are relatively few mines in comparison with World War II ERW, which officials state are “found everywhere in Belarus.” No maps of minefields or mined areas exist.^[60] No surveys of suspected areas, including technical survey, were reported for 2005. Suspected hazardous areas are not routinely marked or fenced until the presence of mines or ERW is confirmed. Marking is then carried out by Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior personnel.^[61]

Mine and ERW Clearance

In 2005, the Ministry of Defense destroyed 25,790 explosive devices, including 2,215 landmines. The Ministry of Interior received 2,309 calls and destroyed 6,063 UXO; the Ministry includes 770 landmines in this total. Landmine Monitor was unable to obtain any data on the amount of land cleared. No plans were made for clearance operations in 2006 as the government claims there is no funding available for blanket clearance in Belarus.^[62]

Destruction of Mines and ERW in 2005

Clearance body	Antipersonnel mines	Antivehicle mines	ERW
Ministry of Defense	36	2,179	23,575
Ministry of Interior	22	748	5,293
Total	58	2,927	28,868

Manual demining methods and machines are used in destruction operations. The Ministry of Interior also uses explosives detection dogs. As of early 2006, it had 22 dogs.^[63] The Ministry of Defense has machines that were designed for military breaching of minefields. In 2005, the Ministry of Interior bought a MRK-27 robot that is now used for EOD tasks.^[64]

Clearance data is stored only in writing at the Ministry of Defense in a special register. Belarus does not use the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database.^[65]

There were no demining casualties in Belarus in 2005. All deminers are insured by the government.^[66]

Mine Risk Education

In 2005, the Ministry of Defense continued the mine risk education (MRE) campaign started in 2004 in cooperation with local authorities and EOD teams in affected areas of Belarus. All seven regions of Belarus have been covered by the campaign. Public information was also disseminated by television and radio advertising and printed material, such as posters and brochures. Films depicted EOD clearance and interviews with military officers from the Army Engineer Corps and representatives of the BCBL. According to the ministries of defense and interior, EOD teams also conduct MRE for civilians in areas where clearance operations are about to be conducted.^[67]

No MRE has been reported in Belarus schools. In order to provide suitable MRE materials, UNICEF would need an official request from the Ministry of Education.^[68]

Belarus has not reported on MRE activities in its Article 7 reports. International Mine Action Standards have not been applied to MRE in Belarus, and no national standards have been developed.^[69]

Landmine/UXO Casualties

At the Standing Committee meetings in May 2006, a representative of the Ministry of Defense stated that, “In 2005 three Belarusian civilians died as a result of UXO explosion...”^[70] One UXO incident, on 30 January, killed three people and injured one person.^[71] This represents a significant decrease from five mine/UXO incidents reported in 2004, in which one person was killed and 15 injured.^[72] It appears that new mine/UXO incidents occur due to handling UXO for scrap metal and explosives extraction, a practice called “black demining.”^[73]

The Ministry of Defense maintains a mine/UXO casualty database, which indicates the type of mine or UXO involved. The database is based on official sources and is updated after each new incident. Between 1944 and February 2006, 6,171 mine/UXO casualties were recorded, including 3,506 people injured and 2,665 killed; this is more than previously reported due to a mistake discovered in 1944-1996 records.^[74]

Survivor Assistance

According to officials, survivor assistance in Belarus is not considered an issue requiring international attention or support, nor are separate victim assistance planning or programs needed, as landmine/UXO casualties are provided for through existing services; hence, no statements regarding survivor assistance have been made by Belarus.^[75]

Access to medical, surgical, rehabilitation and reintegration services, available from the Ministry of Health network of hospitals and healthcare institutions throughout Belarus, is reportedly sufficient.^[76] Most prosthetic and rehabilitation services are available, but Belarus lacks the capacity to produce the most technologically advanced prosthetic components, which have to be imported. Belarus has steadily increased both production capacity and quality, and in the future, should no longer need to import prosthetic components.^[77]

The Belarus Prosthetic Rehabilitation Center (BPRC) is the main supplier and producer of prostheses in the country. In 2005, the Council of the Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region recognized BPRC as having achieved the best practical outcomes in rehabilitation of victims of war and conflicts.^[78] The main facility is located in Minsk, with branches in major cities, including Vitebsk, Grodno, Gomel, Mogilev and Baranovitchi. The center provides physiotherapy, prostheses and other orthopedic devices, pre- and post-prosthetic care, and the repair and adjustment of prostheses and other aids. BPRC has modern equipment and uses advanced technologies. In addition to physical rehabilitation, the BPRC Individual Rehabilitation Program and Education Center aims to achieve the complete rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, which includes medical, psychological, social, educational and legal assistance. However, due to economic difficulties, this program is not being implemented adequately.^[79] The main and regional branches of BPRC were utilized by 80,942 people in 2005, and 1,404 visits were made to the people with disabilities in homes and hospitals. BPRC produced 3,621 wheelchairs, 41,584 pairs of prosthetic shoes and 19,625 other assistive devices in 2005. No separate data is maintained on landmine/UXO survivors.^[80] Only 0.2 percent of people with disabilities have to pay a small amount for their prostheses, depending on the type of prostheses.^[81] Most amputees receive prosthetic devices free of charge, but local and regional authorities must first purchase the devices; in 2005, two regions (Grodno and Vitebsk) lacked sufficient funds to meet the demand.^[82]

BPRC received no international funding but continued active collaboration with Dortmund Center for Professional Rehabilitation of Handicapped, which assists the BPRC Education Center in the development of its vocational training programs.^[83]

Disability Policy and Practice

National disability laws exist in Belarus.^[84] The main agency responsible for the protection and social reintegration of people with disabilities is the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. There is a national coordination committee for disability issues and a parliamentary commission on disability issues. On 19 December 2005, the Republican Complex Program 2006-2010 replaced the 2001-2005 program; it includes assistance to survivors from military operations and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. The program receives state funding to provide free prosthetic devices and rehabilitation services to the disabled, including landmine/UXO survivors.^[85]

Economic reintegration of survivors is reported to be difficult. Companies are required by law to engage people with a disability, however the law is not strictly enforced despite progress made in 2005.^[86] Other key issues affecting the disabled were realization of housing benefits and access to public facilities.^[87]

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection and other agencies collaborate with NGOs to meet the needs of people with disabilities, and to advocate for their rights. Joint meetings are held with NGOs to develop strategies for socioeconomic reintegration of the disabled, and to facilitate implementation of joint programs.^[88]

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[1] Statement by Aleh Shloma, Representative of Belarus, First Committee of the UN General Assembly, New York, 21 October 2004.
[2] Article 7 Report, Form A, 9 May 2005.
[3] Decree No. 742 of the Minister of Defense of Belarus, 1 September 2003, and Decree No. 851 of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, 6 October 2003.
[4] Decree No. 19 of the President of the Republic of Belarus, “About the Prolongation of the Moratorium on Export of Landmines Till the End of 2007,” 13 January 2003.
[5] Decree No. 27 of the Council of Ministers of Belarus, “About State Control over Transit Through the Territory of the Republic of Belarus of Specific Goods,” 10 January 1998.
[6] Decree No. 525, “On Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction,” 6 May 2004.
[7] Belarus submitted its initial report to the UN on 23 June 2004. Landmine Monitor recorded a second report, 9 May 2004, covering the remainder of 2004.
[8] Statement by Dr. Aleksandr Baichorov, Director of International Security and Arms Control Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sixth Meeting of States Parties, Zagreb, 1 December 2005.
[9] The delegation in Zagreb was headed by Dr. Aleksandr Baichorov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The head of the Engineering Corps in the Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, also participated in the Zagreb meeting as well as the intersessional meetings.
[10] Statement by Dr. Aleksandr Baichorov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sixth Meeting of States Parties, Zagreb, 1 December 2005.
[11] Declaration submitted with ratification to the UN, www.untreaty.un.org, accessed 18 July 2005. This deferral will presumably become irrelevant by 1 March 2008, when Belarus is obliged to complete destruction of its stocks of PFM antipersonnel mines to comply with Article 4 of the Mine Ban Treaty.
[12] Interview with Valery Kolesnik, Counselor, International Security and Arms Control Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minsk, 23 March 2006.
[13] Statement by Dr. Aleksandr Baichorov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sixth Meeting of States Parties, Zagreb, 1 December 2005.
[14] Article 7 Report, Form B, 24 April 2006. These totals include the 6,030 mines Belarus has indicated it will retain for training.
[15] Article 7 Report, Form G, 24 April 2006.
[16] Article 7 Report, Form B, 24 April 2006.
[17] Article 7 Report, Form B, 23 June 2004.
[18] In addition, engineer forces destroyed 80 PMN blast mines in March 2004, its first destruction after the treaty entered into force, in an event witnessed by international and domestic media.
[19] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 170.
[20] Statement by Dr. Aleksandr Baichorov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sixth Meeting of States Parties, Zagreb, 1 December 2005.
[21] Statement by Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 11 May 2006; Letter from Ministry of Defense to BCBL/SCAF, 28 February 2006. The conversion value for the Euro-Dollar exchange rate is dated 8 February 2006.
[22] Ibid. See also, Letter from Ministry of Defense to BCBL/SCAF, 28 February 2006.
[23] Statement by Dr. Aleksandr Baichorov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sixth Meeting of States Parties, Zagreb, 1 December 2005.
[24] Statement by Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[25] Ibid.
[26] Email from Par Brusquini, Programme Officer, Mine Action and Disarmament, Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine and Belarus, 5 June 2006; presentation by Dirk Schuebel, Chargé d’Affaires, Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine and Belarus, Third Ottawa Convention Implementation Workshop, Minsk, 22-24 May 2006. Schuebel said that the tender process had been launched and that the project was scheduled to launch on 1 January 2007, with a contracting period of 24 months. Average exchange rate for 2005: €1 = $1.2449. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006.
[27] Statement by Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Press Conference, Minsk, 6 January 2006.
[28] Use of Claymore or MON-type mines in command-detonated mode is permitted under the Mine Ban Treaty, while use in victim-activated mode (typically with tripwires) is prohibited.
[29] Article 7 Report, Form B, 23 June 2004. During 2004, 55 MON-type mines were destroyed during training with the staff of military command troops. Article 7 Report, Form B, 9 May 2005.
[30] Letter from Ministry of Defense to BCBL/SCAF, 28 February 2006. See also, Statement by Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[31] Article 7 Report, Form B, 9 May 2005. Unofficial translation by Landmine Monitor. With regard to the victim-activated components of the OZM-72, Belarus also stated, “This type of munition is currently revised: all subparts designed for uncontrolled detonation are to be extracted and destroyed.”
[32] Statement by Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[33] Ibid.
[34] Article 7 Report, Form D, 24 April 2006. The mines retained include: 1,500 PMN; 1,512 PMN-2; 1,500 POMZ-2; 1,518 POMZ-2M.
[35] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, and Valery Kolesnik, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geneva, 15 June 2005.
[36] Under Protocol V to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, explosive remnants of war are defined as unexploded ordnance and abandoned explosive ordnance. Mines are explicitly excluded from the definition.
[37] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[38] News item on Belarus National TV Channel 2, 23 June 2005.
[39] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 165.
[40] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, and Valery Kolesnik, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geneva, 15 June 2005.
[41] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[42] Ibid.
[43] Presentation by Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Third Ottawa Convention Implementation Workshop, Minsk, 23 May 2006.
[44] In 1993-1994, 1,000 deminers were used in shifts to clear 30 square kilometers of land using standard metal detectors. Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[45] Presentation by Michail Leschinsky, Head of Dubrovno Local Authority, Second International Ottawa Convention Implementation Workshop, Minsk, 8-9 December 2003.
[46] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[47] Ibid.
[48] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Minsk, 7 June 2005; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 171.
[49] Igor Klimov, “A grenade behind the barrel,” Respublika, #186 no. 186, 6 October 2005.
[50] Letter from Ministry of Defense to BCBL/SCAF, 26 April 2005; Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 166.
[51] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Minsk, 7 June 2005.
[52] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 166.
[53] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[54] Article 7 Reports, Forms C and I, 23 June 2004 and 9 May 2005. “Not applicable” is entered on the forms.
[55] Interviews with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, and Valery Kolesnik, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geneva, 15 June 2005.
[56] Letter from Ministry of Defense to BCBL/SCAF, 28 February 2006.
[57] Article 7 Reports, 9 May 2005 and 23 June 2004, and Ministry of Defense discussions with BCBL in 2005 and 2006.
[58] Presentation by Col. Gennady Pozniak, Ministry of Interior, Second International Ottawa Convention Implementation Workshop, Minsk, 8-9 December 2003.
[59] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[60] Interviews with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, and Valery Kolesnik, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geneva, 15 June 2005.
[61] Statement by Col. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense Press Conference, Minsk, 19 January 2004; Letter from Ministry of Defense to BCBL/SCAF, 28 February 2006.
[62] Letter from Ministry of Defense to BCBL/SCAF, 28 February 2006; interview with Col. Gennady Pozniak, Ministry of Interior, Minsk, 27 February 2006.
[63] Interview with Col. Gennady Pozniak, Ministry of Interior, Minsk, 27 February 2006.
[64] Interviews with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, and Col. Gennady Pozniak, Ministry of Interior, Minsk, 7 June 2005.
[65] Letter from Ministry of Defense to BCBL/SCAF, 28 February 2006.
[66] Ibid.
[67] Ibid; for details of MRE in previous years, see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 167-168.
[68] Interview with Alexander Karankevich, UNICEF, Minsk, 24 February 2006.
[69] Interview with Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Ministry of Defense, Minsk, 7 June 2005.
[70] Statement by Maj. Gen. Sergei Luchina, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 11 May 2006.
[71] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 168.
[72] Ibid.
[73] Vjacheslav Tkach, “‘Black diggers’ stocked ERW in the basement of an apartment building,” Komsomolskaya Pravde in Belarus, 30 November 2005.
[74] Letter from Ministry of Defense to BCBL/SCAF, 28 February 2006. The original figures for 1944-2004 were: 6,048 mine/UXO casualties, including 3,416 people injured and 2,632 killed.
[75] Interview with Valery Kolesnik, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minsk, 23 March 2006.
[76] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 169.
[77] Interview with Anna Jubkova, Deputy Director, BPRC, Minsk, 27 February 2006.
[78] Ibid.
[79] Interview with I. N. Volkov, Director, BPRC, 14 April 2005.
[80] Interview with Anna Jubkova, BPRC, Minsk, 27 February 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 173.
[81] Interview with Vladimir Variotsky, Head of Training, and Svetlana Babivskaya, Psychologist, BPRC, Minsk, 27 February 2006.
[82] Interview with Anna Jubkova, BPRC, Minsk, 27 February 2006.
[83] Ibid.
[84] See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 869-870; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 174.
[85] Interview with Anna Jubkova, BPRC, Minsk, 27 February 2006.
[86] Interview with Vladimir Variotsky and Svetlana Babivskaya, BPRC, Minsk, 27 February 2006.
[87] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Belarus,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.
[88] Interview with Vladimir Variotsky and Svetlana Babivskaya, BPRC, Minsk, 27 February 2006. For NGOs working in this area, see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 170.